OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Jacksonville Finance Committee Meeting Summary – May 19, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, May 19, 2026
BodyJacksonville, Florida
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, May 19, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:31:41
Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

All right.

0:02

Looks like we do have a quorum.

0:05

So we're gonna go ahead and call the meeting to order.

0:07

It's one o'clock Tuesday, May 19th.

0:10

We're gonna go ahead and start our finance committee meeting with introductions to the left.

0:15

Brittany Norris for the administration.

0:17

Colleen Hamsey, Council Research.

0:19

Mary Stepopoulos, Office of General Counsel.

0:21

Bill Peterson, Council Auditor's Office.

0:23

Kim Taylor, Council Auditor.

0:25

Good afternoon, Rory Diamond District 13, the beaches.

0:28

Ron Salem, group two at large.

0:29

Will Lane District 3.

0:31

Joe Carlucci, District 5.

0:33

Good afternoon, Raw Aries, District 11.

0:35

Hello everybody, Kevin Carico, District 4.

0:38

Matt Harluch at large, group four, for a little while, maybe.

0:41

Good afternoon, Jimmy Peluso, just visiting.

0:44

Nick Howland at large, group three.

0:46

I'm a finance committee member, but I am sitting all the way over here because I have a little bit of a cough every so often.

0:50

Everyone who went on the Austin chamber trip last week came back with a little bit of the crud.

0:55

I don't know if you did, Kevin, but I did.

0:57

So I don't wanna cough on anybody.

0:58

So I'm self uh isolating over in the far end of the S.

1:02

Thanks.

1:05

Okay, 397.

1:06

Okay.

1:09

All right, committee members.

1:11

Uh we are gonna go ahead and go through the agenda.

1:13

We've got uh some items that we're moving around to accommodate some of our folks in the audience, and then we have a couple of public comment cards that Miss Rebecca is.

1:24

It's okay, we got time, you don't need to rush.

1:26

Um, taking up, so let's see.

1:32

Okay, do you need to speak?

1:34

Okay, you're recognized.

1:37

Thank you, Chair.

1:38

I've asked Mr.

1:39

Peterson to review our hurricane account to determine where we are in terms of collecting dollars from the feds.

1:48

Since we've not had a hurricane in around 18 months, I think it's a good time to see where that uh where that fund relies.

1:55

He's indicated the last meeting in June, he'll provide a report to the finance committee.

2:00

Just wanted to let everybody know that.

2:02

Thank you, Chair.

2:03

All right, thank you.

2:04

We also wanna welcome Finance Committee member, Ms.

2:07

Jacoby Pittman, and we also have Councilmember Rockman Johnson uh that has just joined us.

2:12

So, okay, so as we were saying, we're gonna go through the agenda.

2:16

We have a presentation today by Miss Taylor, then we will go to our public comment cards, then we'll get into the agenda.

2:21

Um so let's just look through this real quick and I can kind of give everyone a heads up of what we're gonna be doing.

2:26

So items number uh one, two, three, four, five are all deferred, and then we are gonna go to page sixteen, item number twenty-four, twenty twenty-six, three thirty-seven.

2:41

That will be taken up first.

2:43

Let me make sure we're there.

2:46

So, yeah, 24 item, 2026 337.

2:50

That'll be item action item number one, and then we're gonna go back to page four, item number six, twenty twenty-six three one two, regular action item, item number seven, regular action, uh eight, nine, and ten, all up for normal action.

3:08

Items number 11 and 12 are being deferred.

3:12

Item 13, uh 2026.

3:15

I think Council Member Gay is gonna be joining us for that one.

3:19

Um, and then item number 14, 2026, 322.

3:23

Ms.

3:23

Joyce Morgan, have you made have you are you here?

3:27

She said she was gonna be a little bit late, so we might skip over that one if if her and her team are not able to be here.

3:34

Um, and then six uh okay.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural█████████████████████████25%
Economic Development████████████████████████24%
Racial Equity████████████████16%
Pending Litigation███████████11%
Fiscal Sustainability███████7%
Engineering And Infrastructure█████5%
Workforce Development████4%
Community Engagement██2%
Parks and Recreation██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Jacksonville Finance Committee Meeting Summary – May 19, 2026

The Finance Committee of the Jacksonville City Council met on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, from 1:00 PM to 3:31 PM in the Council Chamber. Chair Joe Carlucci presided, with eight members present: Nick Howland, Raul Arias, Rory Diamond, Will Lahnen, Ju'Coby Pittman, Ron Salem, and Kevin Carrico. The committee reviewed numerous ordinances and resolutions, heard public comments, and issued subpoenas for the Special Investigatory Committee on JEA matters.

Auditor Presentations

  • General Fund/General Services District FY 2024/25 Recapture: Council Auditor Kim Taylor reported a total recapture of $8.4 million, with the administration proposing to use the funds for completion grants.
  • Report #823B – Follow-Up on Stormwater Fee Audit: The second follow-up identified seven unresolved issues; a third follow-up is planned.
  • Report #905 – Quarterly Summary for Six Months Ended March 31, 2026: A net favorable budget variance of $9.9 million in GF/GSD total revenue was noted. Overall projected year-end surplus of approximately $30.4 million. JTA reported significant revenue shortfalls requiring cost-cutting measures.
  • Report #906 – Employee Reimbursements Audit: The audit found reimbursements generally appropriate but identified timeliness issues, incomplete policies, and minor violations. Total reimbursements for FY 24/25 were approximately $403,000.

Consent Calendar (all approved 8-0 unless noted)

  • 2026-0312 – Appropriated $36,563.20 and created two positions for the Eastside Community Grants Program.
  • 2026-0313 – Reallocated $181,840.50 in HOME grant funds from Downpayment Assistance to administrative costs.
  • 2026-0314 – Authorized a position funded by federal CDBG.
  • 2026-0315 – Approved Harbour Waterway Dependent Special District FY 26-27 budget ($206,500 assessment from 132 parcels, no change) – Amended and approved.
  • 2026-0316 – Approved Millers Creek Dependent Special District FY 26-27 budget ($80,730 assessment from 29 parcels, no change).
  • 2026-0321 – Appropriated $1,776,499.27 for pickleball courts and sports lighting at Ed Austin and Sheffield Parks – Amended and approved.
  • 2026-0322 – Adopted Duval County Property Appraiser FY 26-27 budget with an amendment removing funding for one position – Amended and approved.
  • 2026-0323 – Reallocated $181,840.50 in HOME grant funds from administrative costs to Downpayment Assistance.
  • 2026-0324 – Authorized Amendment Two to the Economic Development Agreement with Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation, extending project completion to 3/31/28 and reducing capital investment to $7,000,000 – Amended and approved.
  • 2026-0331 – Amended lease with Fort George Island Volunteer Fire Department (extend term, $7,400/year) – Amended and approved.
  • 2026-0332 – Authorized second amendment to manatee protection studies agreement with JU (increase by $193,549 to $283,549).
  • 2026-0333 – Amended lease with Mandarin-Loretto Volunteer Fire Department (extend term, $38,200/year) – Amended and approved.
  • 2026-0334 – Authorized MOU with Neptune Beach for disaster debris management at Girvin Landfill.
  • 2026-0337 – Donated surplus 1979 Chevrolet Malibu (valued at $15,000) to Brumos Collection for museum display – Amended and approved.
  • 2026-0353 – Supported issuance of up to $23,500,000 in multifamily housing revenue bonds for Treetop Apartments (172 units, 60% AMI).
  • 2026-0354 – Supported issuance of up to $28,850,000 in multifamily housing revenue bonds for Campbell Cove (240 units, 60% AMI).
  • 2026-0384 – Emergency appropriation of $35,000 from Council District 11 strategic funds for Ironman Jacksonville ($30,000) and Jazz Festival ($5,000) – Approved 7-0.
  • 2026-0392 – Emergency: Approved private sidetrack agreement with CSX Transportation for Cecil Commerce Center – Approved 8-0.
  • 2026-0397 – Emergency: Amended Baymeadows Community Improvement District charter (requires Council approval for property purchases over $100, changes board composition) – Amended and approved 7-0.
  • 2026-0419 – Emergency: Expressed support for Culinary Institute of America Southeast Campus in downtown Jacksonville and authorized negotiation of up to $35,000,000 incentive package – Amended and approved 7-1 (Diamond opposed).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Support for CIA (Items 0419): Multiple chefs and restaurateurs (Chad Muncie, Jonathan Insetta, Tom Gray, Sam Efron, Jonas Loh) spoke in favor of bringing the Culinary Institute of America to Jacksonville, highlighting workforce development, national prestige, and potential economic impact.
  • Opposition to Jail in Redlined Areas (Item 0356): Several residents (Tyra Smude, Wells Todd, Bobbie O'Connor, Latrina Dowdell, Jalicia Lewis, LaShonda Holloway) urged support for a resolution recommending that a new pre-trial detention facility not be located in historically redlined neighborhoods, citing environmental justice and historical discrimination.
  • Other: Jake Jacobs requested a watershed analysis for Hogpen Creek and suggested JEA participation.

Discussion Items

  • Emerald Trail Eminent Domain (Item 2026-0327): A substitute ordinance appropriating $12,599,258 for land acquisition for the Hogan's Creek to Riverwalk segment and authorizing eminent domain for 17 parcels. Council Member Diamond opposed using eminent domain for parks and expressed concerns about spending on downtown parks. Council Vice President Howland questioned the use of eminent domain. Public Works representatives explained the properties are mostly commercial and vacant, and the project includes flood mitigation. The committee deferred the bill to allow further property research.
  • Resolution on Jail Location (Item 2026-0356): Council Member Peluso introduced a non-binding resolution urging that future detention facilities not be placed in historically redlined (HOLC Grade D) areas. Council Member Lahnen, as Jails Liaison, urged a no vote to avoid prejudicing the ongoing consultant-led site selection process. Council Member Diamond called the resolution "performative garbage" but questioned the administration's stance. Council Member Pittman urged sensitivity. The resolution failed 1-7 (Pittman in favor). A motion to reconsider also failed 0-8.
  • Youth Empowerment Funding (Item 2026-0362): Appropriated $5,200,000 from the Special Committee on Youth Empowerment contingency to Kids Hope Alliance for competitive procurement of programs for youth ages 16-24 in distressed tracts. Council Members Lahnen and Salem noted the growing non-departmental budget and urged scrutiny. Approved 5-1-2 (Diamond nay; Pittman and Carrico abstained).
  • Culinary Institute of America (Item 2026-0419): Emergency ordinance expressing Council support and authorizing negotiation of up to $35 million in incentives ($27 million capital, $8 million for operations/workforce). Discussion included funding sources (likely from the $30 million downtown fund and CBA workforce development credits), veteran training, and downtown location requirement. Council Member Arias argued all $35 million should count toward CBA obligations; OGC noted capital improvements may not qualify. Approved 7-1 (Diamond opposed).

Key Outcomes

  • Deferred Items: 2024-0627, 2024-0966, 2025-0361, 2025-0775, 2026-0227, 2026-0318, 2026-0320, 2026-0335 (Meridian Waste contract), 2026-0327 (Emerald Trail eminent domain).
  • Approved Appropriations & Authorizations: Numerous ordinances as listed in the Consent Calendar, all by unanimous votes (8-0) unless otherwise noted.
  • Failed Resolution: 2026-0356 (jail location) failed twice – first 1-7, then 0-8 on reconsideration.
  • Youth Empowerment Funding: Approved 5-1-2 with two abstentions.
  • CIA Incentive Package: Approved as an emergency 7-1.
  • Subpoenas Issued (all approved 8-0): The committee approved three subpoenas requested by the Special Investigatory Committee on JEA Matters:
    • Regina Ross: Appear June 8 and June 22, 2026; documents due June 1.
    • Jody Brooks: Appear June 8, 2026; documents due June 1.
    • Vickie Cavey: Appear June 22, 2026; documents due June 15.
  • Next Meeting: The next regular Finance Committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 2, 2026.

Meeting Transcript

All right. Looks like we do have a quorum. So we're gonna go ahead and call the meeting to order. It's one o'clock Tuesday, May 19th. We're gonna go ahead and start our finance committee meeting with introductions to the left. Brittany Norris for the administration. Colleen Hamsey, Council Research. Mary Stepopoulos, Office of General Counsel. Bill Peterson, Council Auditor's Office. Kim Taylor, Council Auditor. Good afternoon, Rory Diamond District 13, the beaches. Ron Salem, group two at large. Will Lane District 3. Joe Carlucci, District 5. Good afternoon, Raw Aries, District 11. Hello everybody, Kevin Carico, District 4. Matt Harluch at large, group four, for a little while, maybe. Good afternoon, Jimmy Peluso, just visiting. Nick Howland at large, group three. I'm a finance committee member, but I am sitting all the way over here because I have a little bit of a cough every so often. Everyone who went on the Austin chamber trip last week came back with a little bit of the crud. I don't know if you did, Kevin, but I did. So I don't wanna cough on anybody. So I'm self uh isolating over in the far end of the S. Thanks. Okay, 397. Okay. All right, committee members. Uh we are gonna go ahead and go through the agenda. We've got uh some items that we're moving around to accommodate some of our folks in the audience, and then we have a couple of public comment cards that Miss Rebecca is. It's okay, we got time, you don't need to rush. Um, taking up, so let's see. Okay, do you need to speak? Okay, you're recognized. Thank you, Chair. I've asked Mr. Peterson to review our hurricane account to determine where we are in terms of collecting dollars from the feds. Since we've not had a hurricane in around 18 months, I think it's a good time to see where that uh where that fund relies. He's indicated the last meeting in June, he'll provide a report to the finance committee. Just wanted to let everybody know that. Thank you, Chair. All right, thank you. We also wanna welcome Finance Committee member, Ms. Jacoby Pittman, and we also have Councilmember Rockman Johnson uh that has just joined us. So, okay, so as we were saying, we're gonna go through the agenda. We have a presentation today by Miss Taylor, then we will go to our public comment cards, then we'll get into the agenda. Um so let's just look through this real quick and I can kind of give everyone a heads up of what we're gonna be doing. So items number uh one, two, three, four, five are all deferred, and then we are gonna go to page sixteen, item number twenty-four, twenty twenty-six, three thirty-seven. That will be taken up first. Let me make sure we're there.

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